Apparatus and method for knitting pile fabric



March 22, 1966 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug.2l, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 F G. l

|V Il I (0 INVENTOR BROOKS STEVENS, JR.

ATTO RN EYS B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

M. BY/CSXLWZ March 22, 1966 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILEFABRIC Filed Aug. 2l, 1963 6 Sheets-Shea?l 2 1N VEN TOR.

BROOKS STEVENS, JR BY ATTO RNEYS March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug. 21, 1965 6Sheets-Sheet 5 if@ I m/"ENTOR` BROOKS STEVENSJR. BY

ATTORNEYS March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC Filed Aug. 21, 1965 6Sheets-Sheet 4.

F I G. 8

I NVEN TOR.

BRQoKs STEVENS, JR. BY

ATTORNEYS March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledAug. 2l, 1963 FIG. IO

INVENTOR VENS Ri?` Vl m.

March 22, 1966 B. STEVENS, JR 3,241,337

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FiledAug. 2l, 1963 l'ix FIG.

I NVENTOR.

BROOKS STEVENS,JR. B @j ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,241,337APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING PILE FABRIC p Brooks Stevens, Jr.,Concord, Mass., assigner to Ames Textile Corporation, Lowell, Mass., acorporation of Maine Filed Aug. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 303,961 24 Claims.(Cl. 66-93) This application is a continuation-impart of my nowabandoned earlier application, Serial No. 148,456, tiled October 30,1961, for apparatus and method for knitting pile fabric.

This invention relates to the knitting of pile fabric, and moreparticularly relates to improved apparatus and methods for kintting pilefabric on independent needle circular knitting machines whereby the bodyyarn of the fabric will be plated `on one side of Ithe fabric and thepile yarn will be disposed entirely on the opposite side of the fabric.

It has long been known how to knit lboth loop pile fabrics and cut pilefabrics on circular knittting machines having a single set of needles.In forming such pile fabrics, one yarn is used for knitting .the pileand a second yarn is used to form the body of the fabric. It is highlydesirable that the body yarn plate to the plain side of the fabric. Ifthis can be accomplished, the fabric will make the fullest use of thepile yarn, since the knitted loop portions of that yarn will be confinedwithin the fabric by the body yarn, thus permitting a maximum of yarn inthe pile in the plush side of the fabric. Further, the plain side of thefabric then will present a smooth appearance and the knitted loopportions of the pile yarn will not be subject to pulls.

However, in knitting pile fabrics on latch needle machines, grea-tditiiculty has been encountered in plating the body yarn to the plainside `of the fabric. It is not diliiicult to present the pile and bodyyarns in proper plating relation to the knitting needles. Generally, thepile yarn is fed to the needles above the body yarn, so that the pileyarn is plated to the inside of the fabric while being knit on themachine, and the body yarn is plated to the outside of the fabric whilebeing knit. But in practice it has been found that when the new pile andbody yarn loops are drawn through the previously formed stitches, thepreviously drawn pile yarn loops about the needle Shanks. because oftheir slack condition, often are pulled below their accompanying orassociated body yarn stitches. This action destroy-s the desired platingeffect, since where it occurs the pile yarn will be plated to the plainside of the fabric.

This difficulty arises from the fact that in knitting pile fabrics withlatch needles the measurement of the yarns for the pile loops and bodyyarn stitches occurs simultaneously with the stitch formation action ofthe knitting instrumentalities. It is the concurrent measuring andformation of the new pile loops which, through frictional engagement ofthe yarns, causes a previously formed pile loop to be displaced belowits accompanying body yarn stitch, thus destroying the desired platingeffect.

Of course, highly satisfactory results in the plating of the body yarnto the plain side of a pile fabric have been achieved by means of springbeard needle knittting machines. However, in the past, such machineshave been subject to the limitation of making loop pile fabrics only,since it has been impossible, up .to now, to equip such machines withcutting means for severing the pile yarn loops during knitting to makecut pile fabrics.

The primary object of this invention is to provide, in a circularknittting machine for producing pile fabrics, means and methods forseparately and selectively measuring both the pile yarn and the bodyyarn prior to stitch formation by independently movable needles, wherebythe previously drawn pile yarn loops will not be disturbed duringknitting, thus ensuring that the body yarn will be plated properly onthe plain side of the fabric.

A further object of this invention is to provide means and methods forknitting cut pile fabric on circular knitting machines whereby the body`yarn of the fabric is plated entirely to the plain side thereof, thuspresenting a plain face which is smooth and not susceptible to thecatching and pulling of the pile yarn, and which, at the same time,makes fullest use of the pile yarn since the knitted loop portions ofsuch yarn are conned within the base fabric composed of the body yarn,resulting in a maximum of yarn in the pile on the plush side of thefabric.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby, in`independent needle circular machines` designed to knit pile fabrics,both the pile yarn and the body yarn are selectively measured byelements disposed behind the needles. p

A further object of this invention is to provide for the severance ofthe pile loops of properly plated pile fa bric knitted on an independentspring beard needle machine during the fabric forming process.

A further object of this invention is to provide body yarn measurementfor circular knitting machines having independent needles, particularlybut not necessarily of the spring beard type, by means disposed behindthe needles.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art from the following description of preferredembodiments thereof, as illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the plain side of a cut pile fabric knitted in accordancewith this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary View in perspective of a spring beard needleknitting machine showing the manner in which the yarns are fed to theneedles and to the yarn measuring elements of the dial.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view in elevation showing the yarnmanipulating elements.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views in elevation showingsuccessive positions of the yarn manipulating elements at differenttimes during the making of the pile fabric of FIG. l.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of the i cylinder and dialcams with the cylinder cams developed into a flat view in elevation 'andthe dial cams developed into a rectilinear plan view and rotated intothe plane of the cylinder cams.

FIGS. 9 and l0 are fragmentary views showing a modification of themachine illustrated in FIG. 2, with the needles disposed in the dial andthe yarn measuring elements disposed in the cylinder.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are fragmentary views showing a second modification 0fthe machine illustrated in FIG. 2, with a stitch wheel replacing one setof the yarn measuring elements of the dial.

FIG. 13 is yet a further modification showing latch needles in place ofyar-n measuring elements in the dial.

In its preferred embodiment, as illustrated herein, the invention isapplied to a spring beard needle machine of the rotating cylinder type.It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is readilyapplicable to stationary cylinder machines and to machines employinglatch needles as well as spring beard needles.

In FIG. l, there is shown diagrammatically -a knitted pile fabric made,in accordance with this invention, from a body yarn 10 and a pile yarn11, which, in the case of cut pile fabric, may have the pile yarn loopssevered as indicated at 12.

Turning to FIGS. 2-7, it will be seen that the machine is equipped withthe usual rotatable cylinder 13 having the usual slots 14 for receptionof independent spring beard needles 15 formed with beards 16 and hooks17. The upper portion of the cylinder 13 is formed with a verge 18having a plurality of slots 19, each of which is in vertical alignmentwith a slot 14 and is adapted to receive in the usual manner a needle15. The upper portion of each slot 19 is formed with a counter cut 20 tofacilitate the retraction of the hooks of the needles, with yarnretained therein, into the verge slots 19.

A spring beard needle machine embodying this invention does not utilizesinkers as either web holders or yarn measuring implements. Instead,such devices are eliminated. The top of the verge 18 supports the fabricduring knitting. The counter cuts 20 permit the needles 15 to pull newyarn loops into the verge slots 19 to form the new stitches and topermit the old stitches to be cast olf. The casting off action is aidedby a fabric take-up (not shown) which may be of the type illustrated inUnited States Letters Patent No. 1,517,992. Such take-up maintains thefabric as it is knitted under suicient tension to ensure proper castingoff of the old stitches from the needles 15 as the new loops of yarn arepulled by the needles into the verge 18.

A dial 22 is disposed within the circle of needles 1S at the top ofcylinder 13, and is co-axial with the cylinder. Since the machine shownin FIGS. 2-7 of the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating apreferred embodiment of this invention, is a revolving cylinder machine,the dial 22 will be rotated, by suitable well known means, in unisonwith the cylinder 13. The upper surface of the dial 22 is formed with aplurality of radial slots 23, equal in number to the slots 14 of theneedle cylinder, and having counter cuts 21 (see FIG. 2). Mounted ineach dial slot 23 are a pair of yarn measuring or drawing elements 24and 25. Each yarn measuring element 24 is formed with a hook 26 at itsdistal end for receiving and holding pile yarn, in a manner later to bedescribed, and has a butt 28 at its inner end. Each yarn measuringelement 25 is formed with a hook 27 at its distal end for receiving andholding body yarn, and has a butt 29 at its inner end.

It is to be noted that hook 26 for receiving the pile yarn is disposedat a higher level than hook 27 which receives the body yarn. The yarnmeasuring elements 24 and 25 may be located in vertically alignedarrangement, as shown, or may be disposed in side by side relationwithin a slot 23, as desired, but in either event pile yarn receivinghook 26 preferably is disposed above body yarn receiving hook 27. Eachdial slot 23 is spaced between each pair of cylinder slots 14, thusdisposing each pair of elements 24, between a pair of needles 15.

The pile yarn 11 is fed to the hooks 26 when the yarn measuring elements24 are in advanced position, as shown in FIG. 3. The pile yarn is fedthrough a tube 31) in a vertically upward direction. After the pile yarnis taken by the hooks 26, the yarn measuring elements 24 are retractedinwardly of the dial 22 to pull or urge, and thus measure, the pile yarnabout the shanks of the needles 15 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. Theextent to which yarn measuring elements 24 are retracted inwardly of thedial is controlled by adjustable cam means acting on butts 28, as morefully described hereinafter. By such cam means, the measurement of theloops of pile yarn may be carefully controlled.

As shown in FIG. 4, the body yarn is fed to the advanced hooks 27 of theyarn measuring elements 25 through a yarn tube 31, the body yarn 10passing through the tube in a vertically upward direction. As the hooks27 take the body yarn 10, the yarn measuring elements 25 .are retractedinwardly of the dial to pull or urge, and thus measure, the body yarn 10about the shanks of the needles in the manner shown in FIG. 5. Elements25 are retracted by adjustable cam means acting on butts 29, asexplained hereinafter.

In practice, either the pile yarn or the body yarn may first be fed tothe hooks of the yarn measuring elements, or, if desired, both yarns maybe fed simultaneously by merely projecting element 24 further outwardlythan element 25 so as to provide sufficient clearance for both the yarntubes 30 and 31.

After the yarns 10 and 11 have been measured out into loops by theelements 24 and 25 about the shanks of the needles 15, as shown in FIG.5, the needles 15 start to descend in preparation for knitting newstitches. Before or during the descent of the needles, the yarnmeasuring elements 24 and 25 are advanced slightly to eliminate anystrain on either the needles or the yarns during the initial stitchformation action.

As the needles 15 descend, the yarns 10 and 11 looped about the needleShanks slide upwardly into the needle hooks 17. Just before the pointsof the needle beards 16 reach the plane of the fabric stitches (i.e.knitted loops) supported on top of the cylinder 13, the beards arepressed into the usual cavity formed in the needle shanks. This pressingaction, as shown in FIG. 6, preferably is performed by a presser shoe 32of any well known construction, but may also be performed by a presserdisk or other presser means well known in the art.

Thus, the beards 16 of the needles 15 will be held closed as the needlesdescend further and pass through the old stitches on the needle shanks.As the needles approach cast olf level, the yarn measuring elements 24and 25 are projected outwardly toward the periphery 34 of the dial 22.In the course of such advancement, elements 25 are projected furtherthan elements 24, in the manner shown in FIG. 7. When the elements 24and 25 reach the periphery 34 of the dial 22, the yarn loops which theyrespectively hold drop out of their hooks 26 and 27. The loops of bodyyarn 10 from hooks 27 are drawn into the fabric by the needles 15, butthe loops of the pile yarn 11 drop from hooks 26 into depressions 35formed in yarn measuring elements 25 immediately behind hooks 27. Thus,as the needles descend to cast off level, and form new stitches from theyarns 10 and 11 in their hooks 17, the loops of the pile yarn 11 areretained by the yarn measuring elements 25.

It will thus be seen that the needles 15, in carrying out their stitchformation action, are not, at the same time, measuring out the yarn tobe knit. Their function is limited solely to the formation of the newstitches, since both the body yarn 10 and pile yarn 11 have beenpreviously measured into loops by means of the yarn measuring elements24 and 25. The setting of premeasured body and pile yarn loops into thefabric to form knitted stitches serves to eliminate disturbance of thepreviously drawn loops of pile yarn, with the result that such loops arenot displaced on the needle shanks with respect to their accompanyingstitches of body yarn. As a result, the desired plating of the body yarnstitches to the plain side of the fabric is not disturbed. Therelationship between the yarn measuring elements 25 and the needles 15is such that when the needles are at their lowest point of cast off, theloops of pile yarn 11 suspended from the depressions 35 will be taut,but free of any undue strain or tension.

After the old stitches have been cast off of the needles 15, the pileloops of yarn 11 may be released from the yarn measuring elements 25 byeither of two waysseverance or casting off--depending upon whether cutpile or loop pile fabric is to be produced. If a cut pile fabric is tobe produced, the needles 15 preferably are raised slightly from theirlowest point of cast olf, whereupon the loops of the pile yarn 11suspended from elements 25 are severed by a crush cutting actionsimilar, for example, to that disclosed in United States Patent No.2,996,904. In this instance, however, the depending loops of pile yarnare severed by the crush cutting action .5 between a cutting disk 36 andthe periphery 34 of dial 22, as shown in FIG. 7. Raising the needlesslightly eliminates any strain upon `the dependent pile loops andensures that such loops will be cut cleanly by disk 36 with theresulting cut ends being of uniform length. The severed portions of thepile yarn loops preferably are removed by vacuum, but may be blown orbrushed off if desired. If a loop pile fabric is to be produced, cuttingdisk 36 is rendered inactive.

In the case of both cut and loop pile fabrics, the elements 25 areretracted after they pass disk 36 to permit the pile yarn to clearn suchelements. At the same time, needles again are raised slightly so that,Where the pile yarn is uncut, the loops thereof are slackened and mayslide up out of depressions 35 and be cast off over the hooks 27 ofelements 25. Following retraction of the elements 25, the now releasedcut or loop pile is brushed under the dial 22 by any Well knownpneumatic or mechanical means.

In carrying out this invention, it is highly important to correlate themeasurement of the yarns 1t) and 11 by the yarn measuring elements 25and 24 with the spacing between the dial 22 and the needles 15 at thelevel where the latter reach their lowest point of cast off. Suchcorrelation rnay be accomplished by suitable means known `to thoseskilled in the art. It is essential that the loops of pile yarndepending from depressions or yarn holding portions 35 of yarn measuringelements 25 be taut, without being under undue strain or tension, as theneedles 15 reach their lowest point of cast off. It is equally importantthat the spacing relationship between the dial 22 and the lowest castoff position of the needles be such as not to permit the loops of pileyarn depending from depressions 35 be slack, for if this is the case,severing of the legs of the pile yarn loops to equal lengths may not beachieved.

It is clear that the lowest point of cast off reached by the needles 15also is dependent upon the lengths of loops drawn by elements 25 fromthe body yarn 10. When the needles 15 descend to draw new stitches fromyarn 10 and'new pile loops from yarn 11, they should descend to justbelow the top of the verge 18. This is sufcient to draw the body yarnloops in the hooks of the needles into the fabric which is supported onthe verge 18 while being held taut under the action of the fabric takeup. Of course, the spacing relationship between the dial 22 and the topof cylinder 13 should be such as to permit the fabric, as it is knitted,to pass smoothly between those two elements to the take up.

FIG. 8 comprises a diagrammatic straight line development of thecylinder and dial cams, illustrated as though the cylinder cams had beenunrolled into a single plane and the curve taken out of the dial cams,the latter having been rotated into the plane of the cylinder cams. InFIG. 8, line 60, alternatively, represents the top of the cylinder 13and the peripheral edge 34 of the dial 22. The cylinder cams areindicated generally by reference numeral 61 and the dial cams byreference numeral 62. In FIG. 8, the needles 15 pass from left to right,as indicated by the arrow A, and the butts of the needles pass along thecam track 63. The butts 28 of yarn measuring elements 24 pass along camtrack 64 and the butts 29 of yarn measuring elements 25 pass along camtrack 65.

As the needles 15 reach the highest level 71 of clearing cam 70, thedial hooks 26 will have received the pile yarn 11, and will be in theprocess of being retracted inwardly of dial 22 by cam 72. At the sametime, the yarn measuring elements 25 will have been moved outwardly byCam 73 so that their hooks will be projected over and beyond the row ofloops on the Shanks of the needles 15, in the manner disclosed in FIGS.2 `and 4. Such projection of the elements 25 permits the bottoms ofthose elements to hold the fabric down on the needle Shanks as theneedles are elevated by cam 70. If elements 25 are not thus projected,the fabric on the needles might rise with 6 the needles, due to thefrictional engagement between the fabric loops and the needle shanks,with the result that the elements 25, if projected later to take yarn10, would strike and damage the fabric.

After the needles reach the highest point 71 of cam 70, they are causedto descend slightly by cam 84. As a result, the fabric on the needleShanks, by reason of its frictional engagement therewith, is drawn outof Contact with the bottoms of the elements 25.

Thus, when the hooks 26 of elements 24 are retracted to their innermostpositon in dial 22, the hooks 27 of elements 25 will be in theiroutermost position to take the body yarn 10. Thereafter, elements 25 areretracted in wardly of the dial by cam 74. Preferably, after yarnmeasuring elements 24 and 25 have received the yarn and been retractedto their innermost position, they are projected outwardly a slightamount by cams 91 and 90 to eliminate any strain or undue tension on theyarns measured out by those elements about the Shanks of the needles 15.

After the yarns 10 and 11 have been measured out, and relieved slightlyby the action of the cams 91 and 90, the needles 15 start their descentby the action of the cam surface'75 of stitch cam 79 upon their butts.lust prior to the closing of the needle beards 16 by the presser 32,with the yarns 10 and 11 disposed within the hooks 17 of the needles,the rate of descent of the needles 15 may be slowed by reducing theangle of stitch cam 79 as indicated by reference numeral 76. After thepoints of the needle beards 16 have passed through `the previously drawnstitches sustained on the needle shanks, the presser 32 is removed andthe needles resume their original rate of descent along the inclinedsurface 66 of cast off cam 77.

As soon as presser 32 closes the beards 16 of the needles 15, yarnmeasuring elements 24 and 25 are projected outwardly of dial 22 by theaction of cams 81 and 80 acting -upon their respective butts 28 and 29.Cam 80 projects ele-ments 25 outwardly sufficiently far so that when theloops of pile yarn 11 are released by the hooks 26 of elements 24 theyare deposited in the depressions or yarn holding portions 35 of elements25. This action occurs just prior to when the needles 15 reach thelowest point of cast olf cam 77.

Cast off cam 77 is adjustable vertically. It should be positioned withrespect to dial 22 so that the body yarn loops formed by the elements 25will b-e pulled through the previously drawn loops without strain whilepermitting the retention of the pile yarn loops on elements 25 duringcast otf. Under a condition of tautness free of undue tension or strain.As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the spacingrelationship between cast off cam 77 and dial 22 on the one hand, anddial 22 and the top of the cylinder 13 on the other hand, is critical.Carefully controlled adjustment of these elements must be achieved bysuitable means well known in the art.

Following cast oil', the needles 15 are raised slightly by landing cam78. This relieves the pile yarn loops suspended from depressions 35 ofelements 25 of any strain preparatory to the crush cutting of such loopsby cutting disk 36 against the periphery 34 of the dial 22. During crushcutting of the pile yarn loops, yarn measuring elements 24 preferablyare retracted inwardly of the dial 22 by means of cam 92, thuspermitting a suction nozzle or other means (not shown) to reach close toyarn measuring elements 25, as the loops of pile yarn 11 are beingsevered, to remove the severed yarn portions.

After the yarn measuring elements 25 pass cutting disk 36, they areretracted inwardly -by means of cam 94 while, at the same time, theneedles 15 again are raised slightly, by cam 85. Such retraction of theelements 25 serves to release the pile yarn therefrom, while the slightraising of the needles by the cam 85, in cases Where the pile yarn isuncut, slackens the pile loops suiciently to permit their 7 being slidup out of depressions 35 and cast olf over the hooks 27.

Before the yarn measuring elements 25 are again projected outwardly bycam 73 to take the body yarn 10, the needles 15 are lowered slightly bycam 86 so that the fabric stitches disposed on the needles will belowered, by reason of their frictional engagement with the needleShanks, and thus permit the pile yarn, whether cut or uncut, to bebrushed under the dial 22 by any well known means. Thereafter, theneedles 15 again begin their ascent to clearing level, by cam 70, whilethe yarn measuring elements 24 and 25 are projected outwardly, by cams87 and 73, respectively, to take the yarns 11 and 10, elements 25serving also to hold the fabric on the needle Shanks down as the needlesrise.

Thus, this invention contemplates the manufacture of both cut and looppile fabrics, and provides means in both instances for releasing thesuspended pile loops of yarn 11 from the elements 25 either by thecutting action of disk 36 or the casting off action achieved by cams 94and 85.

It is to be noted that the invention described and illustrated hereincontemplates the severing of the loops of a pile yarn on a spring beardneedle machine. It is believed that this is the rst time that it hasbeen possible to do this on a spring beard `machine during the fabricforming process. This improvement is achieved through the elimination ofthe sinkers and their accompanying parts and mechanisms, which enablesthe mounting of a cutting disk 36 outside of the needle circle in themanner indicated in FIG. 7.

By premeasuring both the body and pile yarns by means of elementsdisposed adjacent to the needle circle, as taught by this invention, thefunction of the needles is limited to that of stitch formation only,i.e. to setting premeasured yarn loops into a fabric to form knittedstitches. When new loops of pile and body yarn are drawn through thepreviously drawn stitches on the needle Shanks, there is no unduedisturbance of the previously drawn pile yarn loops resulting in thereversing of those loops with respect to their accompanying body yarnstitches. As a result, by the invention illustrated herein, it ispossible to ensure in the knitting of both loop pile and cut pilefabrics a consistent plating of the body yarn to the plain side of thefabric.

In the dial, the cams 72 and 74 which retract the yarn measuringelements 24 and 25, as they take the pile and body yarns, respectively,are adjustable in a horizontal plane, so as to vary the amount of yarnmeasured out into loops by each element. In this respect, it is possibleto measure or draw pile yarn loops of varying sizes, as well as tochange the size of the stitches made from the body yarn 10. Preferably,cams 72 and 74 are each independently mounted on slide means disposed inradial grooves in the dial in any manner well known in the art. Ofcourse, in adjusting cams 72 and 74, it must be kept in mind that needlecast off cam 77 must also be adjusted in relation thereto, and that dial22 must be spaced properly with respect to cylinder 13, to ensure thatduring the knitting process the loops of pile yarn 11 which depend fromthe depressions 35 of elements 25 are in a proper condition of tautnessto produce a satisfactory pile fabric.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2-8herein, it is to be noted that the plain side of the fabric is the outerside of the fabric while being knit on the machine, and that the plushside is the inner of the fabric While being knit on the machine. Thus,to ensure that the loops of pile yarn 11 will plate to the plush side ofthe fabric and that the loops of body yarn will plate to the plain sideof the fabric, it is essential, during knitting, that the pile yarn bedisposed at a higher level than the body yarn about the Shanks of theneedles 15 (see FIG. 5). By premeasuring the loops of the pile and bodyyarns by means of the retractable yarn measuring elements 24 and 25about the needle Shanks, the desired relationship of the pile yarn beingdisposed above the body yarn on the needle shanks is not upset duringthe stitch formation action of the needles.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the hooks 26 of theretractable yarn measuring elements 24 are shown as being disposed abovethe hooks 27 of the retractable yarn measuring elements 25. Thisarrangement is considered to be highly convenient for the purpose ofplacing the loops of the pile yarn 11 above the loops of the body yarn10 on the needle shanks during knitting. However, as an alternative, thesame result can be achieved if the measuring hooks 26 and 27 aredisposed in the same horizontal plane, and the needles are movedrelatively up or down, as the case may be, during the yarn feeding andmeasuring actions.

More specifically, if the pile yarn 11 is rst fed to the needles andmeasured, then the needles are raised slightly before the body yarn isfed and measured. Due to the frictional engagement of the pile yarnloops with the needle shanks, such loops are raised with the needles,thus permitting the body yarn to be measured about the needles below thepile yarn. On the other hand, if the body yarn 10 is first fed to theneedles and measured, then the needles are lowered slightly before thepile yarn is fed and measured. Due to the frictional contact between thebody yarn loops and the needle Shanks, such loops will be lowered withthe lowering of the needles to ensure that the pile yarn is fed to theneedles above the body yarn loops. Of course, in either of thealternative methods described above, suitable needle raising andlowering cams are required to effect proper needle action to ensure thatthe pile yarn loops are disposed above the body yarn loops on the needleShanks before, during and after the stitch formation action of theneedles.

It is within the scope of this invention to interchange the location ofthe spring beard needles and the yarn measuring elements, as illustratedin FIGS. 9-10. In these figures, needles 15 are mounted in slots 23 ofthe dial 22', and the yarn measuring elements 24 and 25 are mounted inthe slots 14 of cylinder 13. Camming for the needles 15 and elements24', 25 will be similar to that shown in FIG. 8, except the dial camswill now be cylinder cams, and vice versa. In both embodiments shown inFIGS. 2-10, the yarn measuring elements are operatively controlledbehind the needles, and are mounted in opposing relation thereto.

The modification of FIGS. ll-lZ is similar to the embodiment of FIGS.2-8, except the body yarn measuring elements 25 have been eliminated infavor of a stitch wheel 100, which serves as the functional equivalentof those elements. In this modification, only the pile yarn measuringelements 24 are mounted in the dial 22. Stitch wheel is of well knownconstruction, and includes a plurality of peripheral blades 102 havingprojections 103 formed at the lower ends thereof. Stitch wheel 100 isrotatably mounted on a stud shaft 101, and in the embodiment illustratedhas fixed blades mounted at an angle of 25 to the aXis of the shaft.This means, of course, that the shaft 101 is disposed at an angle of 25to the vertically disposed cylinder needles 15 to permit properinteraction between the blades and the needles.

Stitch weels with fixed blades set at angles other than 25 are wellknown and may be used, with proper adjustment of the angle of the shaft.Since the needles 15 are independently movable, and hence aid in placingthe yarn into their hooks by descending, stitch wheels having bladesparallel to the shaft of the wheel also may be used. Stitch wheelshaving movable blades can be used also.

Pile yarn measuring elements 24 function in the same way as described inrespect of FIGS. 2-8 to pull, measure and hold the pile yarn 11 aboutthe Shanks of the needles 15. Stitch wheel 100 receives the body yarn 10in a well known manner, just above the projections 103 i in thedirection of cylinder rotation.

' action.

Y dicated by directional arrow B in FIG. 12. Since stitch wheel 100 ismounted with its axis at an angle, projections 103'on blades 102 serveto retain and raise the body yarn loops as cylinder 13 and stitch wheel100 rotate, so that those loops pass under the beards and into the hooks17 of needles 15. Projections 103 do not lose Contact with the yarnloops until they are safely under the needle hooks.

This elevating of body yarn 10 serves also to elevate into the needlehooks 17 the pile yarn loops, immediately above the body yarn loops,which previously had been measured by elements 24, and which are, atthis stage,

. being held or retained in loop form by those elements.

Preferably, a slight tautness is kept on the pile yarn loops duringtheir elevation on needles by the body yarn loops. Such tautness willensure that the pile yarn loops will be pushed upwardly by the ascendingbody yam loops, as the latter are held and raised by projections 103 ofthe stitch wheel, and will ensure that the body yarn `,loops will remainbelow the pile yarn loops on the needles, so that the body yarn willplate to the outside of the fabric. The hooks of the needles preferablyare sulficiently narrow to prevent or impede passage of one yarn pastthe other.

As shown in FIG. 12, when needles 15 descend, with the pile yarn andbody yarn loops in their hooks 17, their beards 16 are closed in theusual manner by a presser shoe 104 mounted adjacent the st-itch wheel100 This lpermits the previously formed loops to slide up over theneedle hooks enclosing the new yarn so as to complete the knittingDuring cast off ofthe old loops from the needles, the new pile yarn'loops are retained taut by the vhooks 26 of elements 24. Following suchcast off, the

pile yarn loops are released from elements 2'4 either by severance orcasting off, depending upon whether cut pile or loop pile fabric is tobe produced.

The descent of the needles 15 aids in the elem/ation of the body yarnand pile yarn loops into the hooks 17. This downward movement of theneedles, during measuring of the body yarn 'loop-s, can be utilized tocause those loops to push the pile yarn loops to the top of the needlehooks in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 12.

It is to be understood that in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-12, needles 15may be located in the dial 22, in the manner shown in FIGS. l9-10,` andthe pile yarn measuring elements 24 may be located in the cylinder 13.In such event, stitch wheel 100 would be relocated to meas- `ure out,hold and displace outwardly the body yarn loops with respect to theneedles 15 in the dial.

In the further modication shown in FIG. 13, latch needles 105, withtheir hooks and latches located upwardly, have been substituted for thepile yarn measuring elements 24 in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-12.Camming for latch needles 105 in such event would be similar to thatused to control elements 24 in FIGS. 2-8 and 1l-12, except the needleswould have an extra out and in motion as compared to the hooks 24. Thepurpose of the extra outward motion is to move uncut pile loops back ofthe opened latches, i.e. to clear the latches, while the extra inwardmotion is to cast such loops off of the needles. Latch openers of anywell known type would be used to open the needle latches before theyagain -receive the pile yarn.

In the claims hereof, the term tbody yarn means that yarn whichcomprises the basic yarn of a knitted fabric 10 formed into normalstitches by needles of a knitting machine. A pile yarn, when properlyknit into a pile fabric, is a plated yarn and hence, in construing theclaims hereof, the same pile fabric and pile yarn are to be construed toimply, respectively, a plated fabric and plated yarn.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed in detail for the purpose of illustrating the principlesthereof, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable tovarious types of knitting machines and may be embodied otherwise than asillustrated herein without departing from the principles of theinvention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus describ-ed my invention, I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a needlecylinder with a circle of independent needles disposed therein, a set ofstitch forming cams for 'the needles, a pile yarn feed and a body yarnfeed, a plurality of `retractable elements operatively controlled withinthe needle circle, and mounted adjacent one end of the cylinder, forreceiving and measuring pile yarn for pile yarn loops and for receivingand measuring body yarn for bodly yarn stitches and cam` means operableduring the stitch formation action of the needles to advance theretractable elements to release the body yarn while retaining the pileyarn.

2. The invention of cla-im 1 further including means operable to releasethe pile yarn from the retractable elements following the stitchformation action of the needles.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the cam means is adjustable forindependently controlling the amount of pile yarn measured by theretractable elements and the amount of body yarn measured by theretractable element-s.

4. In a circular knitting machines Ifor pile fabric having a needlecylinder with a circle of independent needles disposed therein, a set ofstitch forming cams for the needles, a pile yarn feed and a Ibody yarnfeed, a dial disposed within the needle circle and adjacent one end ofthe cylinder, a plurality of retractable elements mounted on the dialfor receiving and measuring pile yarn, a separate plurality ofretractable elements mounted on the dial for receiving and measuringbody yarn and cam means for advancing the second mentioned elementsduring the stitch formation action of the needles to release the bodyyarn for incorporation into the fabric.

5. The invention of claim 4 further including means for transferring thepile yarn to the second mentioned elements and means for retaining thepile yarn on the second mentioned elements during the stitch formationaction of the needles.

`6. The invention of claim 5 funther including means for severing thepile yarn loops resulting from the stitch formation action of theneedles while .retained upon the second mentioned dial elements.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein the dial is formed with a pluralityof slots and wherein each slot contains a retractable element for thepile yarn and a retractable element for the body yarn.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the retractable elements are formedwith hooks and wherein the hooks of the pile yarn elements are disposedabove the hooks of the body yarn elements.

9. A method of knitting pile fabric fromV pile and body yarns on acircular knitting machine having a complement of independent needlescomprising the steps of measuring and retaining the pile yarn by a setof yarn holding elements preparatory to its formation into knittedloops, measuring and retaining the body yarn by a second set of yarnholding elements preparatory to its formation into knitted stitches,retracting the needles while releasing the body yarn only to form thebody yarn into stitches and the pile yarn into knitted loops and thensevering the pile yarn loops after the body yarn has been formed into fll stitches and the pile yarn has been formed into knitted loops.

19. A method of knitting pile fabric from pile and body yarns on acircular knitting machine having a complement of independent needlesincluding the steps of measuring and retaining the pile yarn by a set ofyarn measuring elements preparatory to its formation into knitted loops,measuring and retaining the body yarn preparatory to its formition intoknitted stitches by a separate set of yarn measuring elements cachhaving a yarn holding portion formed therein, retracting the needleswith the pile and body yarn retained by their respective measuringelements, releasing the pile and body yarns from their respectivemeasuring elements before the needles reach their most retractedposition, advancing the body yarn elements to receive the pile yarn inthe yarn holding portions of said elements and thereafter releasing thepile yarn from the body yarn elements.

ll. A method of knitting cut pile fabric on a circular knitting machinehaving a complement of independent spring beard needles from pile andbody yarns comprising the steps of separately measuring the pile andbody yarns preparatory to their formation into knitted loops, formingthe yarns into knitted loops and releasing the body yarn loops Whileretaining the pile yarn loops taut, and then severing the pile yarnloops, after the pile yarn has been formed into knitted stitches, andbefore the fabric is removed from the machine.

l2. `In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a complementof independent needles, a set of stitch forming cams for the needles, apile ya-rn feed and a body yarn feed, that method which comprisesfeeding a body yarn to the needles, measuring the body yarn into loopsby urging it about the needles a predetermined distance behind theneedles by means of loop measuring elements, feeding a pile yarn to theneedles, separately measuring the pile yarn into loops by urging itabout the needles a predetermined distance behind the needles by meansof loop measuring elements, setting the body and pile yarn loops int-o afabric to form knitted stitches and releasing the body yarn loops fromthe loop measuring elements while retaining the pile yarn loops on theloop measuring elements during stitch formation.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of releasing thepile yarn loops following stitch formation.

14. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a complementof independent needles, a pile yarn feed, a body yarn feed, a set ofelements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring thepile yarn and a separate set of elements disposed adjacent the needlesfor receiving and measuring the body yarn, that method which comprisesfeeding the pile yarn to the needles, measuring the pile yarn into loopsabout the needles, advancing the needles axially, feeding the ybody yarnto the needles, measuring the body yarn into loops about the needles,setting the body and .pile yarn loops into a fabric to form knittedstitches and releasing the body yarn loops from their elements whileretaining the pile yarn loops taut during stitch formation,

15. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a complementof independent needles, a pile yarn Ifeed, a body yarn feed, a set ofelements disposed adjacent the needles for receiving and measuring thepile yarn and a separate set of elements disposed adjacent the needlesfor receiving and measuring the body yarn, that method which comprisesfeeding the body yarn to the needles, measuring the body yarn into loopsabout the needles, retracting the needles axially, feeding the pile yarnto the needles, measuring the pile yarn into loops about the needles,setting the pile and body yarn loops into a fabric to form knittedstitches and releasing the body yarn loops from their elements whileretaining the pile yarn loops taut during stitch formation.

16. In a circular knitting machine having a complement of independentneedles, at least two yarn feeds and means for measuring the yarns intoloops by urging them about the needles a predetermined distance behindthe needles, that method of plating yarn which comprises feeding a firstyarn to the needles, measuring such yarn into loops about the needles,feeding a second yarn to the needles, measuring said second yarn intoloops about the needles, manipulating the needles axially prior to thefeeding of the second mentioned yarn whereby one of said yarns will bemeasured about the needles at a predetermined posit-ion in relation to`the other yarn, setting the yarn loops into a fabric to form knittedstitches and releasing the loops of one yarn from said yarn measuringmeans while retaining the loops of the other yarn by said yarn measuringmeans during stitch formation.

17. yIn a circular knitting machine having a complement of independentneedles, at least two yarn feeds and means for measuring the yarns intoloops by urging them about the needles a predetermined distance behindthe needles, that method of plat-ing ya-rn which comprises feeding afirst yarn to the needles, measuring such yarn into loops about theneedles, feeding a second y-arn to the needles, measuring said secondyarn into loops about the needles, advancing the needles axially priorto the feeding of the second mentioned yarn whereby one of said yarnswill :be measured about the needles at a predetermined position inrelation to the othe-r yarn, setting the yarn loops into a fabric toform knitted stitches and releasing the loops of one yarn `from saidyarn measuring means while retaining the loops of the other yarn by saidyarn measuring means during stitch formation.

f8. lIn a circular knitting machine having a complement of independentneedles, at least two yarn feeds and means for measuring the yarns intoloops by urging them about the needles a `predetermined distance behindthe needles, that method of plating yarn which comprises feeding a firstyarn to the needles, measuring such yarn into loops about the needles,feeding a second yarn to the needles, measuring said second yarn intoloops about the needles, retracting the needles axially prior to thefeeding of the second mentioned yarn whereby one of said yarns w-ill `bemeasured about the needles at a predetermined position in relation tothe other yarn, setting the yarn loops into a fabric to form knittedstitches and releasing the loops of one yarn from said yarn measuringmeans While retaining the loops of `the other yarn by said yarnmeasuring means during stitch formation.

19'. In a circular knitting machine having a complement of independentneedles, a set of stitch forming cams for the needles, a pile yarn feedand a body yarn feed, a plurality of pile yarn loop forming implementsdisposed adjacent the needles for receiving and `measuring the pile yarnpreparatory to its formation into knitted loops, a plurality of bodyyarn loop forming implements disposed adjacent the needles for receivingand measuring the body yarn preparatory to its formation into knittedstitches, means for independently selecting the amount of pile y-arnmeasured by the pile yarn loop forming implements and the amount of bodyyarn measured by the body yarn loop forming implements and mean-s forreleasing the body yarn from its loop forming elements, While retainingthe pile yarn taut, when the body yarn is formed into knitted stitches.

'26. The invention of claim 19 wherein the body yarn loop formingimplements comprise a plurality of blades mounted upon a rotatablestitch wheel for interengagement with the needles.

2l. rThe invention of claim 19 wherein the body yarn loop formingimplements comprise a plurality of retractable hooked elements disposedin opposing relation to the needles.

22. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having two opposingbeds for receiving and retaining retractable yarn manipulating elements,a plurality of independent stitch forming needles mounted in one bed, aplurality of independent yarn measuring elements mounted in the otherbed, for receiving and measuring pile yarn and body yarn into pile yarnloops and body yarn loops, respectively, cam means for controlling thestitch form-ation action of the needles and cam means operable duringthe stitch formation action of the needles to manipulate the yarnmeasuring elements to release the body yarn therefrom While retainingthe pile yarn.

23. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabric having a dial with acomplement of independent needles disposed therein, a set of cams forimparting stitch formation action to the needles, a pile yarn feed and abody yarn feed, a cylinder disposed adjacent to and axially of thed-ial, and to the rear of the needles, a plurality of retractableelements mounted in the cylinder for receiving and measuring pile yarnpreparatory to its formation into knitted loops, a separate plurality ofretractable elements mounted in the cylinder for receiving and measuringbody yarn preparatory to lits formation into knitted stitches and cammeans operable during the stitch formation action of the needles tomanipulate the yarn measuring elements to release the body yarntherefrom While retaining the pile yarn.

24. In a circular knitting machine for pile fabrics having a complementof independent needles, cams for imparting stitch formation action tothe needles, a pile yarn feed and a body yarn feed, a plurality ofretractable elements operatively controlled behind the needles forreceiving and measuring pile yarn preparatory to its formation intoknitted loops, `a stitch Wheel mounted adjacent the needles forseparately receiving and measuring body yarn preparatory to itsformation into knitted stitches, said stitch Wheel having a plurality ofblades which retain the measured body yarn until disposed Within t-hehooks of the needles and thereafter release said yarn for formation intoknitted stitches, and means operable during the stitch formation actionof the needles to retain the pile yarn taut during the stitch formationaction of the needles.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,621 3/1897Wever 66-91 810,578 1/1906 Steber 66-12 949,376 2/ 1910 Latcher 66-931,197,963 9/ 1916 Stafford et al. 66--93 1,560,229 l11/ 1925 Grundy66-93 `1,777,699 10/ 1930 McAdams 66-12 1,801,167 4/1931 McAdams 66-93 X1,838,739 `12/193'1 Breaithwaite 66-9 1,998,286 4/1935 Murphy 66-122,184,088 12/ 1939 Weinburg 66-93 2,320,989 `6/ 1943 Weinburg 66-122,796,751 6/1957 Mishcon 66-93 2,903,869 9/1959` Stevens. 2,933,9074/1960 Lawson et al. 66-93 2,996,904 8/1961 Stevens 66-92 3,041,8597/1962 Andersen et al 66--92 3,107,509 10/1963 Farmer 66--93 X 3,124,9443/ 1964 Bond et al. 66-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,273,725 9/ 1961 France.

125,856 11/1959 Russia.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

19. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A COMPLEMENT OF INDEPENDENTNEEDLES, A SET OF STITCH FORMING CAMS FOR THE NEEDLES, A PILE YARN FEEDAND A BODY YARN FEED, A PLURALITY OF PILE YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTSDISPOSED ADJACENT THE NEEDLES FOR RECEIVING AND MEASURNG THE PILE YARNPREPARATORY TO ITS FORMATION INTO KNITTED LOOPS, A PLURALITY OF BODYYARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE NEEDLES FOR RECIEVINGAND MEASURING THE BODY YARN PREPARATORY TO ITS FORMATION INTO KNITTEDSTITCHES, MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY SELECTING THE AMOUNT OF PILE YARNMEASURED BY THE PILE YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS AND THE AMOUNT OF BODYYARN MEASURED BY THE BODY YARN LOOP FORMING IMPLEMENTS AND MEANS FORRELEASING THE BODY YARN FROM ITS LOOP FORMING ELEMENTS, WHILE RETAININGTHE PILE YARN TAUT, WHEN THE BODY YARN IS FORMED INTO KNTTED STITCHES.